The present invention relates to non-lethal projectiles, and more particularly to wireless, non-lethal projectiles for delivering an electric circuit to a target. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to wireless, non-lethal projectiles for delivering an electric shock-delivering circuit to a living animal.
It is no secret that steadily rising crime rates and an increased need for crime control have created a need for technologically enhanced crime fighting devices. In particular, there is a need for non-lethal devices that are capable of incapacitating or inhibiting suspects in a group of innocent bystanders, mentally deranged individuals, or suspected criminals fleeing on foot. For example, devices that stun, impair the vision of, impair the breathing of, or otherwise physically or mentally impair suspected criminals are needed.
One attempt to provide a non-lethal device for delivering an inhibiting substance is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,614, issued to Fogelgren for COMPRESSED GAS OPERATED GUN HAVING VARIABLE UPPER AND LOWER PRESSURE LIMITS OF OPERATION, incorporated herein by reference (hereinafter the '614 patent). The '614 patent describes a gas-operated gun and associated projectiles. In one illustrated embodiment, a projectile consists of a projectile casing that houses a structure in which a firing pin is situated so as to detonate a primary charge upon impact of the projectile with a target. Detonation of the primary charge causes the expulsion of a load carried in a load chamber. The load chamber may contain various types of load, such as tear gas, dye, flash-powder or wading.
Another embodiment illustrated in the '614 patent consists of a projectile casing that encloses a body member, which together with a frontal member defines a load chamber. The body member and the frontal member are attached so as to be readily separable in flight to enable the load to escape from the load chamber and to proceed to the desired target. In this embodiment, the load is buckshot or plastic pellets.
A further embodiment of the projectile shown by the '614 patent stores a portion of a compressed gas utilized to expel the projectile to expel a load upon striking a target. Upon firing, an outer body member separates from an inner body member, exposing and releasing a holding pin that prevents premature release of the projectile's load. Apertures from which the load is expelled upon impact are sealed with wax to prevent expulsion of the load before the projectile impacts the target. The portion of the pressurized gas is stored in a rear chamber of the projectile during flight while the load is stored in a forward chamber. When the projectile strikes the target, the pressurized gas is released forcing the load through the apertures and out of the projectile.
An additional embodiment of the projectile shown by the '614 patent consists of outer members that form a container into which is fitted a breakable glass vile. Rearward of the breakable vile, padding is provided to prevent breakage of the vile upon firing of the projectile. Forward the vile is a firing pin assembly against which the breakable vile impacts as it shifts forward within the members forming the container upon impact. As with the above embodiment, a holding pin, which normally prevents the breakable vial from shifting forward in the container, is expelled as an outer body member separates from an inner body member. This allows the breakable vial to shift forward upon impact, shattering the breakable glass vial against the firing pin. The breakable glass vile contains a load to be delivered to the target, which is delivered through apertures near the front of the projectile upon the shattering of the breakable glass vial. The vile may be charged with a compressed gas so as to provide a charged load.
Disadvantageously, most of the approaches shown by the '614 patent involve projectiles that are fired, strike, and deliver their load to and instantaneously glance off of their target. Thus, such approaches are unable to continuously and/or repeatedly deliver their stunning or inhibiting effects. If their initial load is unsuccessful in stunning or sufficiently inhibiting the target, projectiles must be repeatedly fired at the target in hopes of again striking the target and eventually achieving adequate stunning or inhibiting of the target.
Another approach to stunning or inhibiting a fleeing or aggressive criminal is embodied in what is commonly known as a "stun gun". The stun gun employs a pair of high energy electrodes positioned at a distal end of a handle. Within the handle an electrical circuit generates a high energy electrical signal, which is applied to the electrodes. Upon contact of the electrodes with the fleeing or aggressive target, an electrical shock is delivered to the target, as he, she or it completes an electrical circuit between the electrodes. Unfortunately, in order to use the stun gun, the user must come into very close contact with the target, in order to make contact between the electrodes and the target. This proximity not only places the user in a position of significant personal risk of physical harm, but risks the target gaining possession of the stun gun, and turning it on the user.
Another approach to stunning or inhibiting a fleeing or aggressive target, is embodied in what is commonly known as a "taser". The taser employs a pair of projectile darts having long sharpened, barbed tips designed to penetrate clothing or animal flesh, such as human flesh. In operation, the taser is fired at the fleeing or aggressive target, with the hope that the sharpened, barbed tips embed in the flesh of the target. If the tips do embed in the flesh of the target, wires, which are connected between the darts and the taser itself, are used to deliver a high-energy electrical shock through the barbed tips to the target, who completes an electrical circuit between the barbed tips of the darts. Note however that both of the barbed tips must attach to the target and come into close contact with the flesh of the target for the electrical circuit to be completed.
Unfortunately, if one or both of the darts do not hit and implant in the target, the electrical circuit will not be completed and the taser is unable to deliver the electrical shock. In this case, the taser is rendered useless. Thus, the taser can be characterized as a wired double projectile approach in which both of the projectiles must hit and implant into the target in order for the taser to be effective. Furthermore, once the taser has been fired, it cannot be easily reloaded, and fired a second time, due to the wires connecting the taser and darts and other physical limitations of heretofore known tasers. Such wires further limit the range and velocity of the darts and thereby limit the utility of the taser to the length of the wires and the speed with which the wires can be deployed.
Additionally, even if the darts do embed in the flesh of the target, the user of the taser (or at least the taser) must remain proximate to the target until he/she is subdued, so that the wires are not broken, or tensioned to a point where either the darts are ripped out of the target's flesh, or the taser itself is pulled out of the user's hands.
A further disadvantage of the taser is that one or both of the darts may implant in the target's skin, may cause significant physical harm to the target. This is especially true if the target attempts to remove the darts from his/her flesh. In particular, unless care is exercised in firing the taser, the darts may actually prove very damaging or even lethal if they imbedded, for example, the target's throat, eyes or head. Thus, the taser, while having some commercial success, does not provide an adequate non-lethal mechanism for stunning or inhibiting a living animal, especially if the target is fleeing.
What is needed is a non-lethal approach to stunning or inhibiting a target that does not require direct touching of the target with a hand-held apparatus, such as a stun gun, and furthermore, that does not require the use of long sharpened, barbed tips that may embed into a target's skin. In addition what is needed is a single projectile, non-lethal approach to stunning or inhibiting a target that is not range-limited by wires coupled to darts, such as with a taser, and furthermore that can be easily reloaded if an initial firing is unsuccessful. Additionally what is needed is a non-lethal approach to stunning or inhibiting a target that is able to deliver repeated stunning or inhibiting effects without the need for repeated firings of projectiles, such as is required by the embodiments of the '614 patent.
Thus, as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, significant improvements are needed in non-lethal approaches for stunning or inhibiting a living target. The present invention advantageously addresses the above and other needs.